Dr Francesca Stella
- Senior Lecturer in Sociology (Sociology)
telephone:
+44 (0)141 3305070
email:
Francesca.Stella@glasgow.ac.uk
Room 1005, Adam Smith Building, G12 8RT
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2384-0435Research interests
I am a Senior Lecturer in Sociology. Prior to (re)-joining the Sociology department as an LKAS Research Fellow in 2013, I have held an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Weeks Centre for Social and Policy Research, LSBU, Loondon (2012), and worked as a lecturer at the University of Glasgow across the subject areas of Sociology and Central and East European Studies (2007-11).
My current research focuses on the substantive topics of migration and sexualities.
- I am interested in migrants’ experiences of settlement and belonging, and how they relate to integration policies and broader political discourses on migration. I am particularly interested in the role that language plays in migrants’ social networks and experiences of settlement. I am currently working on the BA funded project ‘Language learning and migrant “integration” in Scotland’ (2019-22), which explores provision of both formal and informal opportunities for language learning in the context of major changes for the ESOL sector, and considers the perspectives of learners, teachers, practitioners and policy-makers.
- Queer migration is one of my core research interests. I have led the ESRC-funded project 'Intimate migrations: lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender migrants in Scotland' (2015-17). The project foregrounds the experiences of queer migrants within a broader labour migration from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union to Scotland. Adopting an intersectional approach, the project explored decisions to migrate, experiences of settlement and the development of migrants' social networks. The project led to two spin-offs:
- The project ‘Developing engagement on LGBT and migrant equalities’, which resulted in the co-production of two sets of educational materials: one for the ESOL classroom, and the other for youth and community groups.
- An evaluation of how the ESOL material was used by teachers and received by learners.
- I have a long-standing interest in queer lives and sexual politics in Russia, the Former Soviet Union and post-socialist Eastern Europe. Work in this area includes:
- Ethnographic work on the everyday lives of lesbian and bisexual women in contemporary urban Russia, and a follow-up oral history project on ‘lesbian’ existence under state socialism in Soviet Russia. These form the basis of the monograph ‘Lesbian lives in Soviet and post-Soviet Russia: post/socialism and gendered sexualities’ (Palgrave, 2015).
- Co-editing ‘ Sexual and Gender Dissent in the USSR and in the post-Soviet space’, a special issue of Cahiers du Monde Russe (2021). The collection includes contributions from scholars from the post-Soviet region and beyond, and explores queer lives in different parts of the (former) Soviet Union.
- Work exploring sexuality and gender, nationalism, citizenship and human rights. This includes the edited collection Sexuality, Citizenship and Belonging: Trans-National and Intersectional Perspectives (2016), as well as publications empirically grounded in research on the LGBT community in Russia (e.g. an article in Slavic Review 72(3), 2013 on Pride marches in Moscow, and a book chapter on sexual citizenship and the ‘anti-gender’ backlash in Russia)
Research interests
- Queer migrations
- Migration, settlement and belonging
- Language use and language learning in migratory contexts
- Sexuality and gender in migratory contexts
- Sexualities in Russia and the post-socialist region
- Sexuality, gender and socialist modernities
- LGBTQ+ rights and sexual/gender politics: national/transnational perspectives
- The ethics and methodologies of cross-cultural research
- Feminist/queer theory, intersectionality
- Storytelling as a form of public engagement
Grants
- British Academy/Leverhulme Small Grant ‘Language learning and migrant 'integration' in Scotland: exploring infrastructure, provision and experiences’ (2019-22). As Principal Investigator, with Professor Rebecca Kay (co-I)
- Evaluation of toolkit ‘Engaging with LGBT and migrant equalities: Activities for the ESOL classroom’ (2018-19) (funded through Glasgow University’s Academic Returners and Research support scheme). As Principal Investigator.
- IAA ESRC Grant 'Developing engagement on LGBT and migrant equality', May 2017-May 2018. As Principal Investigator.
- ESRC Standard Grant‘Intimate migrations: exploring the experiences of LGB migrant from Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union in Scotland’, Jan 2015-Dec 2017
As Principal Investigator, with Dr Moya Flynn (co-I) and Dr Anna Gawlewicz (RA)
- New Initiatives Fund (University of Glasgow, 2014)
GRAMNet workshop 'Migration and Intimate Life', 18 June 2014 (with Dr Marta Moskal)
- Sociology Small Grant/CRCEES funding (University of Glasgow, 2013)
Events series 'LGBT Lives in Russia and Lithuania', 11-23 February 2014
(co-organised with Edinburgh Film Guild, Scotland-Russia Forum and Amnesty International Student Society)
- ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2012, ES/I038497/1)
'Queer lives and urban space: from Russia to the new Europe'
- AHRC Network Initiative (2011-12, AH/I001557/1)
'Translating Russian and East European Cultures' (named applicant/contributor)
- Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland Research Grant (2009-10)
'Female homosexuality and actually existing socialism: an oral history project of lesbian relations in Soviet Russia' (PI)
- Adam Smith Research Foundation Seedcorn Grant (2008)
International workshop 'Agency and Change in Provincial Russia: the Impact of Location(s)'. University of Glasgow, 2 April 2008; co-organiser
Supervision
I welcome enquiries from potential PhD applicants in any of my main areas of research. I also supervise undergraduate and postgraduate Sociology dissertations (MRes Sociology and Research Methods, MRes Equality and Human Rights).
Current Research Students
- Erdem Avsar (2019) ‘Queer Theatre as Political Intervention’. LKAS PhD scholarship. Supervised with Dr Stephen Greer (Theatre Studies) and Professor Alison Phipps (Education)
- Claire Kish (2020) ‘Scottish female journalist’s experiences of gendered online harassment’. ESRC scholarship. Supervised with Dr Catherine Happer and Professor Bridgette Wessels (Sociology).
- Sopio Davituri (2017-) 'Gender Inequality and Women’s Negotiation of Public and Private Spaces in Contemporary Georgia'. CoSS PhD scholarship. Supervised with Dr Robert Gibb (Sociology) and Prof Rebecca Kay (CEES).
Successful completions
- Holly Porteous, ‘Beauty, Femininity and Consumption in Contemporary Russian Women’s Magazines’. Co-supervised with Professor Rebecca Kay, CEES (2014)
- Karen Cuthbert, ‘Doing gender’ without sexuality? An exploration of asexual masculinities and femininities’, co-supervised with Dr Matt Dawson, Sociology 2017)
- Jenny Speirs, 'How do lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-identified young people who use the internet experience, construct and manage psychological wellbeing?', co-supervised with Professor Sally Wyke, Sociology (2017, MPhil)
- Gokben Demibras, 'A Feminist re-reading of Globalisation and Changing Social Constructions of Gender: a Comparative Neighbourhood Study in Turkey’ - co-supervised with Dr Susan Batchelor, Sociology (2018)
- Natalya Khalymonchik, 'The influence of Japanese popular culture on Russian subcultural youth communities' - co-supervised with Dr Moya Flynn and Professor Rebecca Kay, CEES (2018)
- Panagiotis Theodoropoulos 'Precarity and Solidarity among Migrant Workers in the UK', with Dr Andy Smith (Sociology) (2021)
- Avsar, Rasim Erdem
Queer Theatre as Political Intervention
Teaching
Undergraduate Teaching
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Honours module 'Contemporary Migration in Global Perspective' (SOCIO4107) (course convenor)
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Honours module ‘Migration, settlement and belonging’ (SOCIO4108)
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Honours module ‘Sociology of Gender’ (SOCIO4040) (course convenor)
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Adviser of Studies (2007-11 and 2016-present)
Postgraduate Teaching
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Programme Lead, MSc/MRes Global Migrations and Social Justice (2021-)
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MSc module 'Global Migrations: Histories, Structures, Experiences': course convenor (2021-) and contributor (2017-)
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Contributor : MSc modules ‘Gender Relations (Contemporary Approaches to)’ (2017-) and ‘Equality and Human Rights’ (2013-)
Previous Admin Roles
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Sociology Honours convenor (2019-2021)
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Sociology PGR co-convenor (2015-17)
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Member of Ethics Committee, School of Social and Political Sciences (2015)
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Honours Dissertation Convenor and Ethics Officer, Sociology (2010-11)
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CEES level 2 convener (2008-2011)
Previous Teaching Roles
- Sociology level 1B: Migration and Society (2014-17; co-designer and contributor)
- MSc module 'Contemporary Approaches to Gender Relations' (course convener, 2015-16)
- CEES level 1: contributor (2014-15)
- CEES level 2 contributor (2008-2011 and 2013-14) (team-taught)
- Hons module ‘Sexual citizenship in the new Europe’ (Sociology) – convener and sole lecturer (2011-2012)
- Hons module in social sciences and humanities research methods (CEES) – convener and contributor (2011-12)
- Hons module ‘Post-Soviet Russia: renegotiating global and local identities’ (CEES, 40 credits over two semester)– convener and sole lecturer (2007-08 and 2009-10)
Research datasets
Additional information
Peer reviewing
- Member of the ESRC Peer Review College (Oct 2015-)
- Review of grant applications for Research Foundation Flanders, Belgium, and Royal Society, UK
- Member of the Editorial Board, Sociological Research Online (2015-2018)
- Referee of journal articles for: Sexualities, Gender, Place and Culture, Social and Cultural Geographies, GLQ, Slavic Review, Europe-Asia Studies, Lambda Nordica, Nationalities Papers and Girlhood Studies
- Referee of book proposals for Routledge and Palgrave (2011-present)
Institutional Affiliations
- Member of GRAMNet Convening Group (Glasgow Refugee Asylum and Migration Network)
- Member of Gender and Sexualities Research Forum
- Member of CRCEES
- Member of the Glasgow Human Rights Network
Professional Memberships
- Member of the European Sociological Association
- Member of British Association for Slavonic & East European Studies
- Member of British Sociological Association
- Member of the Higher Education Academy